Our children get up with the daylight no matter what time they go to bed, so the second day of our trip began like any other—early. My idea of a good time is sleeping, and it’s too bad for me that nobody else thinks that too. I can sleep when I get old if I make it that long.

I’m not sure what I thought I’d be doing all day with five children while Greg attended meetings, but that’s typical. I don’t think “how am I going to do this” until after the fact. It just takes too much energy, and I’ve got to spend my time being a visionary. The planning and “how to” is for other people. It’s why we have five little children with another on the way.

The first step was to get food for the crowd. Breakfast was leftover snacks found under the van seats, and we needed something else to get through the day. Greg brought back an assortment of fruit, sandwich fixings, yogurt, and microwave popcorn. Now we could get on with it.

After stepping over, onto, and into so many bodies in a 400 square foot space, we had to get out. We took the crew down to the lake, which wasn’t so daunting since Greg was there. His meetings didn’t begin until the evening. We paddled around and had a pleasant time –until the baby started crying and the two-year-old threw up.

canoe

Greg, bless his heart, handled the babies while I stayed with the older three children. (I know how to delegate and he knows how to score big.) They paddled around and really started to have a good time. You could hear the wind in the trees and the birds in the branches. Just at that moment, though, the office manager (who couldn’t be found the night before) came over to inform us that every boat had to have an adult in it. I looked around for another miscellaneous adult, but there were none. (Maybe they were locked out too.) There wasn’t a sign about the boat rules, so we didn’t know.

You can imagine my dilemma. I already feel like I can’t be in five places at once, and now he confirms the obvious. It’s the perpetual struggle of the modern mother. It doesn’t matter that they can all swim well, are wearing life jackets, and are paddling in three feet of water. Rules are rules and the Scotts obey them. So that ended that.

It wasn’t long until I’d be on my own. Day Two: cranky baby, vomiting toddler, and bored elementary trio. Greg had to leave (smart guy) and the fun was just getting started. It’s a good thing that I’m experienced. Now I just had to think of a plan.